A False Prophet

 

    A false prophet is someone pretending to be led by God when they are giving information out .  Instead they are just benefiting themselves or giving half truths, which are lies.  Hananiah was a false prophet and he told the people that they would be restored in two years.  That was a lie, but it sounded good.  He took Jeremiah's formula of speaking to sound like a genuine prophet.  He sounded convincing.  

    A false prophet can't be trusted.  But, how do you know the difference between a false prophet and a real prophet.  A false prophet's lies will reveal themselves over time.  You just have to wait if you don't have the gift of discernment.  Something to notice is that a real prophet will says things even if it goes against what society says wants to hear.  

    To be exiled gives a sense of hopelessness and isolation.  It is a terrible punishment.  When Jeremiah was telling the Jewish nation to prepare for exile, if they are unwilling to repent, No one wanted to hear it.  Jeremiah was saying it was a part of God's will and anyone speaking against it was lying.  

    The purification process can sometimes be painful.  God was sending His people into exile to purify them.  It was to give them time to change.  It was not eternal, but for a very long time.  All the adults that were exiled had to die before the next generation could return to a clean slate.  Even in the journey of exile, God provided help along the way.  He never abandoned them.

    A false prophet represents rebellion.  Rebellion leads to death.  To follow a false prophet will lead to an early and eternal death.  Hananiah died two months after his false prophecy.  To lie against God is a curse.  It cost him his life.   

Jeremiah 28